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6 ---THE NELSON MAIL Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Scenic delights on our doorstep
Stacey Knott
Scenery ahead: Kayaking along the coast of the Abel Tasman.
Golden beaches:
Surprises around
every corner
DETAILS
Sea Kayak,
Stroll, Seals and
Sail tour.
Price: $214
Trip duration:
8:30am - 4.30pm
Departure point:
Kahu Kayaks,
Marahau
Transfers: Free
transfers from
Kaiteriteri back to
Marahau at the
end of the day.
Inclusions:
Guided kayak,
catamaran sailing
tour
Sometimes you need to leave a
place to really appreciate it.
A tired cliche, but it's true. I
realise this on a recent jaunt
around the Abel Tasman
National Park, it had been far too
long since I had last visited this
spectacular piece of New Zealand.
I had been there as a child on
school camps or family holidays
but never really took much notice
of the surroundings.
Often when I was overseas if
someone discovered where I was
from and they had spent time in
Nelson, I found they had also
been to the Abel Tasman.
They had walked the track,
stayed in the huts, kayaked,
sailed, or rock climbed and
glowed with fond memories when
they told me how lucky I was to
come from a place where this was
literally an hour away.
So, to see what I had been miss-
ing out on I recently joined a
combined kayak, walk and sail
adventure through Kahu Kayaks
and Abel Tasman Sailing
Adventures, and I soon realise
why tens of thousands of dom-
estic and international tourists
flock to the Abel Tasman every
year -- it is spin-tingling beautiful.
My day starts with the drive
out to Marahau, an hour out of
Nelson, over a windy hill and
then out to open farm lands,
along a short road where the
ocean comes into view and
sparkles alluringly as the sun
blazes, and continues to do so for
the next eight hours.
I meet my Kahu Kayak guide
Sophie Ayoub just a little out of
the township, and along with an
Irish couple on their honeymoon,
a German woman and an
Englishman we are given splash
skirts and lifejackets, shown how
to paddle and climb into the
double kayak.
I'm teamed with Sophie and
have to admit something to her.
''The last time I tried kayaking
I ended up way off the beach at
Kaiteriteri, spinning myself in a
circle crying.''
She laughs and assures me
she'll be in control of the steering,
so there will be no spins on her
watch.
First we paddle along past
Apple Tree Bay to Stillwell Bay to
relax in the sun, have a coffee and
a quick dip then paddle up and
down the northern side of
predator-free Adele Island where
we are looking for seal pups. I
can't help but melt a little every
time we spot one clambering over
the rocks. From there, we paddle
to the final destination, Watering
Cove. We've been out for about
three hours, and while my arms
are a little tired, it's pretty easy
going.
There's a short walk over the
hill to Anchorage where we meet
our 10 metre catamaran to sail
back. The walk is steep but the
view at the top is worth it, we are
looking down on the sparkling
blue sea with the emerald tinges,
golden sands and lush green
islands. You don't need a filter on
your photos to properly capture
this view.
After taking a break on
Anchorage Beach we join the
Abel Tasman Sailing yacht.
Relaxed and in good company
with an array of tourists on the
yacht, we alternate between using
the sails and the motor for this
tour. There's about 15 of us and
everyone is windswept but in awe
of the views. We visit Torrent Bay
and Bark Bay, spot more seals at
Pinnacle Island then glide past
Split Apple Rock and end the day
back in Kaiteriteri, exhausted but
satisfied. These kayak and sail
tours are an excellent way to ex-
perience the Abel Tasman on a
day trip, there are options to do
overnight ones through Abel Tas-
man Sailing Adventures, and
there's something for all levels.
Holiday Guide